Best Counter Service Restaurants at Disney World

Some of the best counter service restaurants in Disney World are easy to get to.  They don't even require a park ticket.  My favorites are in the three deluxe hotels just outside the Magic Kingdom.  There are many fantastic food offerings within and around the theme parks of Walt Disney World.  So, it is very difficult to make a selection of only the best restaurants.  Taking into account accessibility, theming, and guest comfort I've listed the five best counter service restaurants at Disney World.

Captain Cooks

The Counter Service Offering at the Polynesian Village Resort gives the other restaurants some stiff competition.  The convenience and accessible menu, combined with great food preparation  make it one of the best quick service options on property.  The food tastes great and the breakfast menu includes the famous Tonga Toast.  There's also a late night menu, which easily makes it one of the best counter service restaurants at Disney World

Gasparilla Grill

Gasparilla Grill is another fantastic entry among Disney's many fantastic resort counter service options.  The menu is not huge, but what is offered are creative and well prepared dishes as well as made to order options.  The counter service restaurant is recently renovated and it's now a top notch food stop worthy of its place within the Grand Floridian resort.

Contempo Cafe

Contempo Cafe, in some ways is just your standard quick service food location, but it does the premise so well, it consistently excels.  Like Chef Mickey's next door, the little cafe has no ceiling so it is wide open to the cavernous Grand Canyon concourse.  Watching the monorail pull in and out of the station overhead builds excitement.  This cafe has a wide array of good cooked to order food and grab and go options, especially the dessert.

Restaurantosaurus

Not all of the best counter service restaurants at Disney World are part of the resort hotels.  some of them are in the parks themselves, though it's hard to rank them or settle on a particular choice among them.  Restaurantosaurus stands tall among the rest due to the intricacies of the theming, the accessibility of the food, and the guest comfort level due to the amount of available indoor seating.  This restaurant is a gem.  The food is less exotic then you will find in other areas of animal kingdom, but that's one reason it's a sure bet for families with picky kids.

Columbia Harbor House

The most consistently outstanding counter service restaurant I've encountered anywhere in Disney World is Columbia Harbor House.  Not to detract from the many wonderfully themed an well executed restaurants around World showcase, but Columbia Harbor House just nails theming and has a menu that is not as pinned down to a particular ethnic cuisine.  The cast members are really on the ball and are able to courteously keep large crowds moving.  Plus, despite the locations popularity, there is always plenty of seating on the second floor where you can dine quietly and enjoy the historically themed surroundings.

Others?

With all the great options out there, what didn't make my top five that you wanted to see?  Let me know what your favorite counter service restaurant is in the comments.